What’s all this about me having to give my driver number to my insurance company all of a sudden?
Well, it’s not all of a sudden and it has been widely flagged for a while now but as of this week anyone taking out or renewing their car insurance will have to supply the insurer with their driver number. Failure to do so will mean that the insurance policy will not be issued.
And, um, where might I find my driver number?
You can find it under section 4(d) on your Driving Licence. It is made up of nine digits and no letters. It is the same number that has appeared on all the licences that you have ever had or ever will have.
And it is just my number they are looking for is it?
No, anyone who is named on your policy will have to supply their driver number as well. As of now it is an offence for any insurance company or broker to issue a policy without first getting these details which means the chances of you getting cover without supplying the data is pretty much zero.
[ Database exposing uninsured drivers leads to seizure of 18,676 vehicles last yearOpens in new window ]
Why is this happening? Why do they need my driver number now if they didn’t need it last week?
The change in the rules was included in the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 and is aimed at enhancing road safety.
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How does it do that?
From now on the new data that links you – and all those named on your policy – to your licence will be added to the Irish Motor Insurance Database (IMID) and it will make it easier for the guards to detect not only those who are driving without insurance but the offences they may have committed in the past.
Where does all this information come from?
The database, which is updated daily, already shows what insurance policies are in place for three million vehicles in Ireland and who the insured drivers are. It allows gardaí at checkpoints to identify any uninsured vehicles in seconds through their hand-held mobile devices or via automatic number plate recognition systems.
The Driver Number – which is tied to each specific driver – will offer real time insight into any offences a driver may have committed, making it even more difficult for drivers who act illegally on Irish roads to evade detection.
And are drivers with no insurance a big problem on Irish roads?
Yes indeed. Close to 200,000 people were estimated to be driving on Irish roads in 2022, a figure which prompted an overhaul of the legislation governing the area As a result of changes, a total of 18,676 uninsured vehicles were seized by gardaí last year, a 67 per cent increase on the 2023 tally. The jump coincides with the introduction of the Irish Motor Insurance Database (IMID) in 2024. The first IMID annual report also shows the number of insurance-related summonses and charges issued by gardaí rose from 21,198 in 2023 to 26,904 in 2024.
What is this likely to mean for my insurance policy in the future?
Well, the costs arising from uninsured drivers was adding between €30 and €35 to each compliant driver’s annual insurance premium. If the new rules mean those costs fall, it would stand to reason that the savings would be passed on to motorists. Whether or not that happens, is very much another question.
